The Promise
by iloveromance
Summary: When Daphne's marriage to Donny begins to crumble she begins to rethink her promise to him and decides to follow her heart instead. An AU version of "Something Borrowed Someone Blue"
1. Chapter 1

The heavenly aroma of English stew wafted through the kitchen, bringing a smile to Daphne's face. She loved doing things like this; preparing a meal for her husband.

Even now, three months later, she could hardly believe that she was really married. It was like a dream come true.

Smiling at the table with satisfaction, she walked into the living room and glanced up the staircase.

"Dinner's ready, Sweetheart!" She called to him.

"Okay, just a sec!" Donny yelled back. "I just need to finish up this case and I'll be right down!"

She sighed with annoyance. Whenever Donny said he had a case to finish, it always meant that she'd be eating dinner alone.

But tonight she refused to do so. She'd worked too hard on this meal to let it go to waste.

"DONNY, NOW!" She yelled.

Finally she saw him hurry down the stairs; a cell phone pressed against his ear.

"Yes Mark. Are you kidding me? We've got this case in the bag! The guy's worth at least five thou-."

He looked up sharply when he saw his wife giving him a look that meant business.

"Um... Look Mark. I'll have to call you back later. The wife... Yeah..." Then he laughed. "Yours too, huh? I guess they just don't understand what we men have to go through to make a living."

Anger flared inside of Daphne at her husband's sexist comment.

"DONNY!"

"All right." Donny laughed into the phone as though he hadn't heard Daphne's outburst. "Lunch tomorrow... On me, Pal! Bye!"

Donny snapped his phone shut and looked at Daphne, oblivious to how angry she was.

"What? I was on a business call!"

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Donny. Just come on. I made a special dinner for the two of us and I don't want it to get cold."

"All right, Honey. But can we make it a quick dinner?"

Ignoring his comment, Daphne took Donny's hand and led him into the dining room, where he noticed the aroma coming from the kitchen.

"What is that smell?" he asked, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

The harshness of his words stung, but Daphne managed a smile as they sat down at the table.

"That is me English Stew. A specialty of me Grammy Moon's." She said proudly.

"Aw, Honey. Again?"

She sat the plate in front of him, paying no attention to the sting of yet another indirect insult.

"What do you mean _again_? It's the first time I've served it to you! I wanted to wait until we were married and make you something really special. It's me Grammy Moon's secret recipe. Try it!"

He cringed as he helped himself to a spoonful and took a bite; cringing even more.

"Oh God... That's... Secret recipe you said?"

"Yes." Daphne said proudly. "What do you think?"

"Oh... Well..." he said, chewing his food. "It certainly is... secret recipe?"

She sighed irritably. "Yes, Donny."

"Should have been buried." He mumbled.

"What?"

"Oh... nothing." He said a little too quickly.


	2. Chapter 2

Daphne lit the candles that she'd placed on the table and then dimmed the lights before sitting down beside him.

"Honey, do you have to make it so dark in here?"  
She rose from the table and went to turn on the light, squinting at its' brightness.

"How's that?" She asked, praying he wouldn't notice the quivering in her voice.

"That's great, Hon. Thanks."  
When he began looking through some papers, she glared at him once more.

He looked up sharply. "What?"

"Can't we just have a nice romantic dinner?"  
Donny glanced at his plate of food, which he'd barely touched. "You know, Hon... I'm not really hungry, so I'm just going to-."

"Donny, please! I know you hate me cookin' but can't you at least try a bit more? I worked so hard and-."

"Yeah? Well that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard!"

Daphne looked at her husband in horror. "What's that supposed to mean? I spent all day making that stew!"

"Roger, you're killing me here!" Donny continued.

The relief Daphne felt when she saw that he'd been yelling into his cell phone and not at her was of little comfort.

"I told you time and time again to-No... No way! We're not settling for anything less than twenty four-."

Hot tears rose to the surface as Daphne glanced at the romantic dinner that had now been ruined.

"BLOODY HELL, DONNY!" She yelled, yanking the cell phone from his hand.

"Wait! What in the hell are you doing?" Donny asked, horrified when his wife hung up the phone.

"That was an important phone call!" he yelled.

"Since when are your calls not important? Can't you stay off of that bloody phone for five minutes?"

"Honey, I have obligations to my career!"

"What about your obligations to your wife?" she yelled.

"What does that mean?"

She swallowed hard, fighting back the all-too familiar tears that were quickly rising to the surface.

"I think you know what it means." She said quietly.

They stared at each other; neither of them saying a word. It was a scenario that was becoming all too common.

As she ate her dinner, she couldn't help but notice that he'd made no effort to touch his plate. But it was pointless to comment on it.

"Oh... Honey, I meant to tell you. I have a huge meeting with Rick Sutcliff after work tomorrow, so I have no idea what time I'll be home."  
Sadly, she wasn't the least bit shocked at this news.

Trying to keep her tears at bay, she smiled. "All right. I'll just keep your dinner-."

"Don't bother. I'll just pick up a burger on the way home."

Daphne's heart sank. "All right. Well, why don't we just sit here and enjoy our dinner?"

Instantly he rose from the table. "Actually, I need to finish this case. But thanks for the iced tea. It was just what I needed."

When her husband walked away without so much as a glance in her direction, Daphne waited until he'd padded up the stairs before sobbing into her hands.


	3. Chapter 3

Brushing away the angry tears, Daphne cleared the dishes from the table and carried their barely-eaten meal into the kitchen. Several minutes later the kitchen was so clean that she could hardly tell that she'd spent most of her day cooking.

But she doubted that Donny would notice, and even if he did, he was sure to make a comment about how it was such a waste of time to make things spotless.

She couldn't help it that she'd picked up quite a neatness habit from working for Dr. Crane all those years. Even now it seemed strange not to be there on a regular basis. She still came over and helped Martin with his exercises but she found that she missed the company of Frasier and his father; even when they drove her crazy at times.

She was inches from returning the sparkling clean casserole dish to its shelf when a sharp pain hit between her eyes. Squinting at the flash of bright light that followed, her hand released the dish and sent it tumbling to the hardwood floor where it landed with a crash.

Within seconds, she heard Donny's voice.

"What in the hell was that?"

She turned to find her husband glaring at her from the doorway and suddenly she was ashamed at what she had done.

"I'm so sorry, Donny." She said as she bent to pick up the pieces of glass that were scattered across the floor. "I'm not sure what happened. You see... me head-."

"It's all right." He said, abruptly cutting her off. "I just wondered what all the noise was. I was on the phone with Greg about this meeting and I couldn't hear what he was saying."

Daphne lowered her head, feeling a bit like Eddie when Martin would scold him. "I'm sorry." She said quietly. "I'll get this cleaned up right away."

"Good." He said as he left the kitchen.

When she picked up a bowl and dried it thoroughly, the pain in her head returned full force. And as before, the bowl fell from her hand and crashed.

"Oh God..."

Donny ran toward her and rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Honey what is wrong with you tonight? We're not made of money, you know! We can't afford to keep buying dishes!"

When he winked at her she realized that the comment was meant as a joke.

But it wasn't at all funny. Donny's sense of humor wasn't as charming as she'd found it just six months ago.

Once more pain filled her head, followed by a flash of images and she grabbed her husband's arm for support.

"Daphne, look I really need to go finish setting up this meeting and-."

"Donny?"

When he glanced at her, she felt a surge of panic wash over her. How could she possibly tell him?

"What's wrong?"

"I-I don't think you should go to your meeting."

To her horror, he laughed out loud. "Daphne, that's ridiculous! You know I can't miss this meeting! There's too much at stake here!"

"I-I know... And I wouldn't dream of asking you to miss it, but y-you see... I've just had a vision and-."

"Damn it, Daphne not again!"

His outburst caused her to gasp in shock.

"What's wrong?"

"Why do you keep doing this? You're not psychic!"

"Of course I am! I've been having psychic visions for years!" Daphne retorted, hurt by his accusations. "Dr Crane and his brother find it charming! And Dr. Crane said-."

Donny laughed and shook his head as though her comment was the most idiotic thing he'd ever heard.

"Niles would say anything to flatter you, Daphne. The man was in love with you! And it wouldn't surprise me if he still is!"

"That's not true!" Daphne blurted out. "Dr Crane is married to Mel and they're very happy together. He's me friend and he knows how much you and I love each other. He just wants me to be happy! How can you even suggest-."

"Wake up, Daphne! The man tried to steal your heart at our rehearsal dinner! I saw the way he was looking at you when you were dancing at the hotel. Of course he wants you to be happy!"

The memory of dancing with Niles at the rehearsal dinner made Daphne's heart warm, but she swallowed hard, not wanting to hear such awful talk about her friend.

"Dr. Crane has nothing to do with this!" She said. "And I wasn't even talkin' about him. I was talkin' about his brother!"

She turned and brushed the hot, angry tears from her cheek, praying that he hadn't noticed.

But who was she kidding? Of course he hadn't' seen. He rarely saw her at all.


	4. Chapter 4

Donny paced the kitchen; a scene eerily similar to the way he would pace a room while working on a big divorce case.

"Look Honey, this has got to stop! You're always going on and on about your so-called psychic powers and then into even longer stories about your family. I can't take it anymore!"

"I'm sorry that I was botherin' you so much." She said swallowing fresh tears that rose to the surface.

There was a tense silence before she spoke again.

"Donny, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why do we do this?"

"What?"

"This! Fight all the time! This isn't the way I pictured me marriage to be."

"Life isn't like a fairytale or your Disney movies, Daphne."

His comment stung as though he had slapped her hard across the face and her next words were out before she could stop them.

"Perhaps we should join Dr. Crane's couples' therapy group. Dr. Crane told me all about how his therapy has helped-."

"Are you completely insane?" Donny yelled. "I swear to God, I don't know where you get these crazy ideas!"

"What's wrong with it? If he can help us, then-."

"Are you listening to yourself? Niles doesn't know a thing about marriage. I mean, he's already ruined two marriages of his own!"

Daphne gasped, stunned to hear her husband speak about Niles so harshly.

"How can you say that? Dr. Crane is your friend!"

"Not anymore! Not since he proved what a jerk he really is!"

"But he didn't do any-."

"Like hell he didn't! Now I know why he was so desperate for a divorce!"

Her mouth fell open in dismay.

"That's a horrible thing to say! Dr. Crane was in a very unhappy marriage and his wife was treating him horribly. He was so grateful to you for helping him get a divorce!"

"And now I know why! He's a jerk, Daphne!"

"I'm not going to sit here and let you talk so badly about Dr. Crane!" He's a wonderful friend and he doesn't deserve your insults! Now why don't we stop talking about him and get back to the issue at hand? What about _our_ marriage Donny?"

He sighed deeply. "I didn't want to have to do this tonight but I have no choice."

Daphne blinked in surprise. "What are you talking about?"

Wordlessly he moved past her and went into his office, returning seconds later with something in his hand.

"What's that?"

"I'm going out." He said abruptly as she stared at the sealed white envelope he'd handed her. And before she could say anything more, he grabbed his car keys and walked out the back door, slamming it shut behind him.

When she was alone, the tears she'd been holding inside began to fall.

How had things gotten so bad?

She knew she shouldn't have mentioned Niles' counseling therapy. What was she thinking?

With trembling hands she carefully opened the envelope. Inside was a thick stack of papers, stapled together on the left hand side.

Tears blurred her vision as she flipped through the pages; having little idea what the massive amount of legal jargon meant.

But when her eyes landed on the bold print at the top of the first page, she knew exactly what kind of papers he'd given her.

For written on the first line were the words:

"_Washington State Decree for Divorce." _


	5. Chapter 5

Daphne stared at the words on the page until they were one collective blur, and she had to remind herself to breathe.

Anxiety gave way to a wave of nausea and she ran into the bathroom where she emptied the contents of her stomach.

Feeling worn, inadequate and emotionally drained, she glanced at the clock, dismayed to find that it was barely ten o'clock. Normally she'd be spending this part of the night with Donny, snuggled next to him watching a romantic movie or reading a romance novel.

Of course, Donny refused to fully participate; choosing instead to work on a case or make a phone call while he held her in his arms.

But Daphne didn't mind. She was blissfully happy that she'd finally found someone who loved her...

Or so she thought.

Now as she climbed into bed, she wondered if he ever really loved her at all.

The thought brought tears to her eyes and within seconds, she was sobbing into her pillow.

She awoke hours later somewhat relieved to find that Donny had returned home and was sleeping beside her. But he'd made no attempt to hold her or even awake her with a kiss.

And why should he? In just a few short months, he'd no longer be her husband and she'd once more become Daphne Moon.

For the second time that evening, she cried herself to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

_Three months earlier-The Wayside Inn_

He'd been talking insistently about flowers of all things; night blooming jasmine in particular. And Daphne couldn't take it any longer.

Unable to hide her feelings, she'd turned to him and, in a moment of spontaneous passion, kissed him deeply.

When he drew back, she stared into his beautiful crystal blue eyes; feeling more love for him than she thought possible.

"I think you can call me Niles now." He'd said before kissing her once more.

But she broke off the kiss and pushed him away.

"No, I don't think I can. I do love you but I can't do this."

"I know it will be difficult but I can get a divorce and you can call off the wedding."

She'd wanted to... Oh, how she wanted to. But at that moment all she could think of were the promises they'd made to their respective mates.

"I can't! Donny is a dear and wonderful man and I made a promise to him. And Mel! You made more of a promise to her! We're supposed to just forget that?"

Try as she might, she'd never be able to forget the sadness and hurt on his face when she'd told him that she couldn't be with him and that they should say goodnight. She loved Niles, but marriage was a sacred promise and she had no right to break it.

So that night, she'd forced herself to forget about him and soon found herself standing at the alter where she became Mrs. Donny Douglas.

She was painfully aware of Niles' absence from the ceremony and frequently distracted herself in hopes that he would make an appearance. But each time she locked eyes with Frasier or Martin they shook their head; as though they knew she'd been waiting for Niles. And it became almost impossibly hard to hide her disappointment.

When the ceremony was over, she was certain that her guilt over hurting Niles would be replaced by the deep love she felt for her new husband, and that the feelings she had for Niles would come to an end.

Instead her love for Niles was just the beginning.


	7. Chapter 7

She woke much later than normal to the shrill ringing of the phone, feeling as though she were suffering a terrible hangover.

If only she had been drinking all night instead of sobbing into her pillow and pacing the living room.

After several rings, she reached for the phone and answered it weakly.

"Hello?"

"Daphne? It's Frasier."

"Oh... Hello."

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Why?" She lied.

"Well, I was just calling because Dad and I were expecting you hours ago. Dad's due for his exercises and you know how stubborn he can be when-."

Daphne rolled over and squinted at her alarm clock, bolting out of bed when she noticed the time.

"Bloody hell! Don't worry Dr. Crane! I'll be right over!"

"No, Daphne... Wait! I-."

But she'd already hung up and was dressed and out the door within seconds.

* * *

The drive to the Elliot Bay Towers was agonizing.

Frasier was most likely furious that she was now hours late for work and he was sure to fire her.

Normally the thought of losing her job didn't worry her. After all, she had Donny and his high profile lawyer status rewarded them with more than enough money to live comfortably. And prior to her wedding, Niles would have resorted to desperate measures to keep Frasier from firing her.

But things were different now and she wasn't even sure if Niles even considered her a friend. She had no one and the prospect of being unemployed scared her to death.

Her heart clinched in her chest when she slowed her blue sports car into the parking space at the Elliot Bay Towers garage. What would the elder Dr. Crane think of her, showing up for work several hours late?

She climbed out of the car and walked into the lobby, preparing herself for whatever awaited her. Feeling a bit like a frightened child, she rang the doorbell and waited rather impatiently until the door was opened.

"Daphne, I thought I told you-."

"H-hello, Dr. Crane."

"Well, it's about damn time!" Martin yelled.

"Dad, please!"

"You're defending her? Fras-."

"That's enough!" Frasier yelled as Daphne crossed in front of him to go to the kitchen.

"I'll get your lunch started right away and then we can do your exercises, Mr. Crane." She said quickly. "I'm so sorry."

Unable to look at Frasier or Martin, she hurried into the kitchen and began searching for something to make for lunch. But no sooner had she opened the refrigerator when the sight of the food made her nauseous once more, causing her to double over in pain.

"Daphne, are you all right?"

Startled by the familiar voice she turned to find Frasier watching her from the doorway with concern.

"Dr. Crane, I'm sorry I was so late. I don't know where me head was. I just-."

"Dear God!"

"What?"

"Forgive my saying so, Daphne but you look awful. Why didn't you tell me that you were sick?"

"I'm fine, really." She lied again.

"You're awfully pale. I can't expect you to take care of Dad in this condition, but you're more than welcome to stay here. Why don't you go lie down and I'll bring you something to settle your stomach?"

"But Dr. Crane-."

"Damn, there's the doorbell. Now at the risk of sounding parental, go lie down. Doctor's orders." He added with a smile.

"All right." Daphne said; blinking back tears that she hoped he hadn't seen.

Weakly, she sat down on one of the kitchen stools and put her hand on her forehead, willing the dizziness she felt to go away.


	8. Chapter 8

In the living room, she could hear Frasier opening the door and then a familiar voice, causing her heart to warm.

"Hello all."

She sat perfectly still, wanting so desperately to go to him but she didn't dare move.

"Niles, what brings you here so unexpectedly?

"Very funny, Frasier. Well, as you might have guessed, I've come to beg a favor."

"Why am I not surprised? What's the favor?"

"Oh it's not for me. It's for Mel. You see she-."

"Actually Niles, I don't think I can help you right now."

A pause and then-

"Ah well... I know you're not fond of Mel but I thought you'd at least be willing to help your little brother. I guess I was wrong. Goodbye Frasier."

"Niles, wait. It's not that. It's..."

"What?"

"Well, it's Daphne. I'm afraid she's-."

Before he could say any more, Daphne emerged from the kitchen smiling weakly at Niles.

"Hello, Dr. Crane."

Niles face registered shock when he saw her.

"Daphne..."  
"I thought you'd gone to lie down." Frasier said.

"I-I was... But I just... I haven't seen your brother in a long time and... It's nice to see you, Dr. Crane."

He moved to hug her but she turned away. The thought of being in his arms was just too painful.

"Are you all right, Daphne?"

"I'm just a bit under the weather but I'll be fine. How's Mel?"

He seemed taken aback by the question.

"Oh... Well, how thoughtful of you to ask. Mel's just fine, thank you. I'll tell her you asked about her. How are things with you and Donny?"

Her eyes filled with tears but she willed them away. "We're fine." She lied, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. "I-I should go before your brother gets angry with me for disobeyin' doctor's orders."

She tried to laugh but a small sob escaped and she hurried into the room that used to be hers...

And she found herself wishing that things could be the way they used to. When she was happy...

And loved...


	9. Chapter 9

Just as she'd settled herself on the bed, there was a knock on the door.

"Daphne, can I talk to you?" Frasier's muffled voice asked.

"I'm not feeling too well, Dr. Crane." She replied.

Through the closed door, she could hear Frasier sigh. "I know it's none of my business, but I'm worried about you, so if something's bothering you, I'm listening."

At his familiar phrase she tried to smile but another sob escaped and she rose from the bed to answer the door.

"I'm so sorry, Dr. Crane."

His concerned glance made her cry even harder.

"Daphne, don't worry at all about being late. If I'd known that something was troubling you, I would have visited you myself."

"I-I know, but..."

"Dear God, I knew something was wrong. Let's talk for a minute, okay?"  
She nodded as he sat down beside her.

"Now what's wrong?"

"I-I can't!"

"Daphne if you don't let this out, you'll only feel worse. Believe me, it's not good to keep things bottled up inside."

"I-I know... But I'm so ashamed!"

Frasier smiled and hugged her. "Oh Daphne, that's nonsense. You're a kind person and you've no need to be ashamed of anything."

She drew back from his embrace and sobbed into her hands as he rubbed her back. "That's very kind Dr. Crane, but I'm afraid not everyone feels that way. I know Donny doesn't."

"I don't understand..."

Her hand trembled as she reached into her overnight bag and pulled out the envelope.

"What's this?" He asked, taking the envelope from her.

She brushed the tears from her cheek, unable to look at the envelope.

"Dear God.. Oh Daphne... I'm so sorry."

"It's all right." She said taking the envelope from him. "I should have seen this coming. I mean... we haven't been getting along in months and it was bound to happen."

"Have you tried counseling?"

Daphne sighed, remembering how she'd stupidly suggested Niles' couples counseling.

"I tried, but he won't hear of it." She cried into Frasier's shirt. "It's me own fault anyway. I feel like such a failure."

"You're not a failure."

"But I hurt him, Dr. Crane! I hurt him so badly!"

"Sounds like Donny's the one who's hurt you." Frasier said quietly.

"No, not Donny. I was talking about your brother! I should have never-."

"What? Married Donny? You were just following your heart."

But Daphne shook her head. "No, I'm afraid I wasn't. I was too wrapped up in the promise I'd made to him. But if I'd really been following me heart, Dr. Crane and I would be together now."

"What about Donny?"  
"I don't love him. I'm not sure if I ever did."

"It sounds to me like you know who you love."

"I do... I love Niles. But it doesn't matter anyway. I mean, he's happily married to Mel."

"I think Niles still loves you. I can see it in his eyes."

"Really?" She asked; the question almost hopeful.

"Just talk to him. Tell him how you feel. And remember, speak from the heart."

"I can't!" She said again.

"Daphne... if you really love him, you can't waste another minute by not telling him."

"You're right." She said, hugging him warmly. "Thank you, Dr. Crane. But I'm so scared!"

"I'm sure Niles is scared too. So it should all work out perfectly."


	10. Chapter 10

Her chest ached as she walked down the hallway that led to Niles' office. She had no right to be here, but as Frasier said... if she didn't confront him...

She shuddered at the unfinished thought.

"Oh, Hello Daphne." Mrs. Woodson said pleasantly. "Is Dr. Crane expecting you?"

"No." Daphne said; her voice barely a whisper. "There's something I have to tell him but I'm sure he's not at all fond of the idea of seein' me right now."

"Now, Daphne that's nonsense! Dr. Carne thinks the world of you!" Mrs. Woodson said, causing Daphne's eyes to fill with tears.

"Thank you, Mrs. Woodson but I'm afraid that his feelings for me may have changed. I can't really say I blame him, though with his wife and all-."

"I'll tell him you're here." Mrs. Woodson said before Daphne had a chance to protest.

"Dr. Crane?"

"Yes, Mrs. Woodson?" Niles' tinny voice answered though the intercom.

"Daphne is here to see you."

"Send her in right away." Niles said.

"I-I should go." Daphne said, trying to control the quivering of her voice.

"Well, all right. But you said you needed to tell him something. Shall I give him a message?"

A tear escaped and ran down her cheek. "Would you just tell him that I love him with all me heart?"

Mrs. Woodson smiled. "Of course I will, Daphne but perhaps it would be better if he heard that from you."

She sighed deeply. It was now or never. "All right."

Daphne walked to Niles office and knocked on the door.

"Come in." He replied.

Her hand trembled as she opened the door and she melted at the sight of him.

He was so handsome.

"Hello, Dr. Crane."

"Hello, Daphne."

The sad look in his eyes broke her heart.

"What brings you here?"

"Well, I wanted to talk to you for a minute."

"All right. Have a seat. What's on your mind?"

She sat down and sighed deeply. "I don't know quite how to say this, but I thought I was doing the right thing by marrying Donny-."

"How are you and Donny?" Niles asked.

"Well-."

"Judging by how beautiful you look, I can only hope you're blissfully happy."

The statement was so sweet and yet it hurt so deeply. Avoiding Niles' gaze, she turned and glanced at his many diplomas and degrees that hung on the wall.

"You certainly have a lot of schooling." She said, trying to steer the subject away from her soon to be ex-husband.

But then she felt his hand on her arm. "Daphne, is something wrong?"

Unable to hold in her pain, the tears unleashed themselves, running in hot thin ribbons down her cheeks.

"Dear God what's happened?"

She swallowed hard, unable to rid herself of the lump in her throat and suddenly she was ashamed.

"Donny wants a divorce."

He let out a breath and reached out to touch her cheek. "Oh Daphne... Dear God, why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I was ashamed."

He looked at her in confusion, causing her to sigh deeply. "Daphne, you should never worry about that because I will never be ashamed of you."

"I feel like such a failure." When she began to sob he took her in his arms and held her close, his soothing hand running up and down her back.

"I've only been married for three months! I can't get divorced! I wanted to stay married forever, not go through life as someone who failed at marriage and-."

Her eyes landed on his left hand and she could see a faint white line on his ring finger.

"W-where's your wedding ring?"

This time it was Niles who turned away.

Concerned, Daphne reached for his hand. "What happened?"

"Mel and I have separated. It's not working out. I mean, I tried but..."  
She pulled him into a hug once more and held him close, her tears landing on his neck.

"I'm so sorry..."  
They held each other for several minutes, grieving silently for their broken marriages and all the lost moments.

"This is all my fault." Daphne said when she drew back.

"Daphne, no-."

"But it is! If I'd just followed my heart instead of trying to do 'the right thing'... I hurt you so badly, Dr. Crane and I'm so sorry! I love you so much! Ever since your brother took those bloody pills for his back and blurted it out! I-I just... I couldn't believe that you'd been in love with me for all of those years!"

Niles smiled and blushed deeply.

"Why didn't you ever say anything?" She asked touching his cheek.

"Well, I..."

"Yes?"

"I was afraid that you might not love me in return."

She kissed him tenderly on the lips. "I think I've always loved you."

He looked at her in astonishment. "You have?"

"Yes... and if I'd only-."

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply, causing all thoughts to vanish from her mind.

"I love you, Daphne." Niles said, looking as happy as a boy on Christmas morning.

Daphne kissed him again. "And I love you, Niles"

They kissed once more and Daphne leaned into his embrace. She could feel his heart beating rapidly, almost in time with her own. It was as though their hearts were beating as one.

"What should we do now?"

"Well, I'll start divorce proceedings against Mel and we'll see about getting yours expedited."

"And then?"

Niles smiled and kissed her cheek. "And then we'll begin the rest of our lives and live happily ever after."

**THE END**


End file.
